Floyd Landis Defamation Lawsuit: Former Olympian Loses Against UCI

Lance Armstrong’s former teammate, Floyd Landis, suffered another legal blow. A Swiss court issued a judgment by default, against the ex-biker, in a defamation lawsuit filed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Floyd Landis Defamation Case With UCI

Stemming from Landis’ accusations that UCI entered into an unlawful agreement with Lance Armstrong to cover up a dirty test, this Floyd Landis defamation case is part of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal.

In 2011, UCI sent Landis a cease and desist defamation letter instructing him to stop a) connecting the company with doping misconduct, and b) dropping disparaging claims about the “UCI and its past and former presidents, Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid.”

Swiss Judge Catherine Piguet ruled:

“Stating that the UCI, McQuaid and/or Verbruggen have concealed cases of doping, received money for doing so, have accepted money from Lance Armstrong to conceal a doping case, have protected certain racing cyclists, concealed cases of doping, have engaged in manipulation, particularly of tests and races, have hesitated and delayed publishing the results of a positive test on Alberto Contador, have accepted bribes, are corrupt, are terrorists, have no regard for the rules, load the dice, are fools, do not have a genuine desire to restore discipline to cycling, are full of shit, are clowns, their words are worthless, are liars, are no different to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, or to make any similar other allegations of that kind.”

Adding insult to injury, Piguet also ruled that Mr. Landis must pay:

For retractions in several publications;

McQuaid and Verbruggen about $10,500 each;

About $5,000 in court and legal fees

An odd twist in the Floyd Landis defamation case? If he doesn’t challenge the judgment within ten days of issuance, a judge can lower the damages.

Landis’ Legal Troubles

Landis probably isn’t pleased about the Swiss court’s ruling. Not only does the judgment, in it of itself, amount to a hefty sum, but it comes when Landis is already saddled with a $500,000 fine in another doping fraud case.